Towel dispenser with indicating towel



Sept. 17, 1940. mc ETAL 2,215,052

TOWEL DISPENSER WITH INDICATTNG TOWEL Filed Nov. -l0, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l htgzztotz Laurence L-Eg 'a aur ceLZM lib Sept- 17, 1940' L L. PRICE ET 'AL TOWEL DISPENSER WITH INDICATINGJ-TO WEL Filed m. 10,1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I I I I I a. I m I I I M I I I I I a I III VIIII/lI/Ali III/II I /ll Patented Sept. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFECE Application November 10, 1936, Serial No. 110,121 7 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a paper towel dispenser.

An object of the invention is to provide a dispenser' in which may be installed a supply roll of paper toweling, the dispenser being so arranged as to dispense a suitable length of toweling which can be severed from the roll to provide an individual towel.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a paper towel dispenser having the above mentioned characteristics including a time delay mechanism requiring a predetermined length of time to elapse before the individual lengths of toweling can be consecutively dispensed. In this manner, by requiring a time delay between consecutive discharges of the toweling, wastage of toweling is effectively prevented.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper toweling dispenser employnig a supply roll of unscored or unperforated toweling having a measuring mechanism for causing the same length of towel to be discharged for individual towels and to provide a novel and efiective mechanism which will facilitate the severing or tearing ofi of the individual towel from the balance of the roll.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supply roll for the dispenser which is so formed or constructed as to indicate readily from the exterior of the dispenser the quantity of paper toweling remaining on the supply roll within the dispenser.

Another object of the invention is to provide 36 a dispenser for paper toweling and a supply roll therefor which are so constructed as to enable supply rolls of toweling to be easily and quickly inserted and to require the person inserting the roll to insert it in the proper position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a paper toweling dispenser with a time delay mechanism which will prevent consecutive discharges until a predetermined time elapses but which does not lock or arrest the toweling itself from. withdrawal from the dispenser.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the improved towel dispenser taken substantially upon the line |--I upon Fig. 2.

'56; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken within the Fig. 5 is a partial view in elevation of the 10 toweling as it appears when withdrawn from ad'- jacent the outside of a full roll.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 4, showing the roll as having been largely exhausted. 15'

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the toweling as it appears when withdrawn from a roll WhiCh'iS nearly exhausted.

Fig. 8 is a partial view in elevation'illustrating a detail of construction. 20

Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 9-9 upon Fig. 1, illustrating the details of the time delay mechanism and showing the mechanism in normal position after the predetermined time has elapsed folliwing the dis- :5-

charge of an individual towel.

Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9 illustrating the time mechanism in the position it assumes immediately after the individual towel has been discharged and prior to the elapse of the re- 3e quired time.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section from. the dashpot forming a part of the time delay mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a horizontal section taken substantially upon the line I2-l2 upon Fig. 10. 35

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved towel dispenser comprises a suitable supporting frame which may be attached to a wall or supported in any desired manner at any desired location. This supporting frame provides a back it and a bottom H with'end walls l2 and. it. At the sides of the bottom. Hi there are upstanding flanges M and i5 which are apertured for the reception A of lugs it and H on the inside of end walls It and is of a cover generally designated at The cover also provides a front wall 2! and a top 22. The end walls I8 and E9 of the cover are somewhat spaced from end walls l2 and I3 of the supporting frame. The cover may be pivoted relatively to the supporting frame on lugs E6 and I! but is locked in closed position by a spring latch indicated at 23.

Within the supporting frame there is disposed a downwardly and forwardly inclined support indicated at 24 which is designed to receive and support a supply roll of paper toweling indicated at 25. Adjacent the forward end of the support 24 there is disposed a measuring roll 25 which is carried on a shaft 21 rotatably mounted in end walls I2 and I3. This measuring roll preferably presents a rough friction surface and is grooved with one or more grooves 28 (see Fig. 2). The inclination of the support 24 and the position of the measuring roll is such that the supply roll 25 tends to roll against the measuring roll and have a portion of its weight effective to press the pap-er toweling against the roughened surface of the measuring roll to bring it into good frictional contact therewith.

A shaft 29 equipped with a crank 3|] located on the exterior of the end wall E9 on the cover extends through wall i9, wall l3 and wall l2, and. is provided with a gear 3| which is disposed between end walls l2 and I8. This gear is equipped with an outstanding lug 32 preferably formed by merely striking out a portion of the body of the gear. The gear meshes with a pinion 33, which is loosely mounted on theend of shaft 21. Adjacent pinion 33 there is a pawl carrier 34 which carries spring actuated pawls 35 engageable with the pinion. The pawl carrying member 34 is rigid on shaft 21.

Thus, by rotation of crank 30, gear 3| will rotate pinion 33 and shaft 21 will be rotated by the engagement of the pawls on the pawl carrying member with the pinion. This causes the measuring roll 26 to be rotated and to feed the free end of the paper toweling on roll 25 downwardly and outwardly through the discharge opening 36 provided between the bottom of the front wall 2| of the cover and the bottom H of the supporting frame. The bottom of the supporting frame has its forward edge bent upwardly to provide fingers 31 which are disposed in the grooves 28 in the measuring roll 26 to prevent the paper toweling from following around the measuring roll and guiding it through the outlet opening 36.

The pawl carrying member 34 and the pawls 35 form a one-way driving connection between crank 3|] and the measuring roll so that while the crank 3|] may produce a discharge of paper toweling from the dispenser the measuring roll in no way has its rotation arrested or locked at the end of the discharge of the individual towel.

Continued discharge of paper toweling from the dispenser by continued rotation of crank 30 is prevented by the time delay mechanism, which requires a predetermined length of time to elapse before a second individual towel can be discharged. This time delay mechanism consists of a cam shaft lever 38 pivoted on a pivot 39 carried by end wall 2. This lever has an outwardly extending finger 40 which is normally disposed in the path of rotation of lug 32. It also carries a thumb 4| which is normally disposed out of the path of lug 32 but which may be moved into its path as shown on Fig. 10.

The remote or rear end of the lever indicated at 42 is connected by a link 43 to the piston 44 of a dashpot having a cylinder 45. The rear end of the lever, the link, and the piston are urged into uppermost positions by a tension spring 46 connecting the lever with a stud 41 adjacent the top of end wall i2. An inlet for air indicated at 48 is provided in the bottom of cylinder 45 but this inlet may be adjusted by means of an adjusting screw 49.

snubber indicated at 5|.

Pawl 50, which is also pivoted on pivot 39 and which engages the teeth on gear 3|, merely serves as a back-up pawl to prevent reverse rotation of gear 3| by crank 30.

When crank 30 is rotated to produce a discharge of a length of paper toweling equivalent to an individual towel the rotation of gear 3| causes the lug or stud 32 to move past the end of thumb 4| without engaging it. During the rotation of gear 3|, which in turn produces rotation of measuring roll 26 and a discharge of toweling, the lug or stud 32 engages the under edge of finger 40 on lever 33, lifting the finger and causing the lever to rock about pivot 39. This rocking movement of the lever causes the piston 42 to move downwardly in cylinder 45 and at the same time thumb 4| is swung into the path of the lug. Consequently, rotation of gear 3| by crank 30 may continue until the lug 32 engages thumb 4|, at which time its continued rotation is stopped. This stops rotation of crank 30 at the end of the discharge of the individual towel although rotation of measuring roll 26 is not arrested due to the presence of the one-way driv-,

ing connection between pawl carrier 34 and pinion 33. Further rotation of gear 3| by crank 30 is prevented until such time as the lever 38 and piston 44 are returned to their initial and normal positions by spring 46. The rate at which the spring 46 may return these parts to their normal positions may be varied by adjusting screw 49 to control the rate at which air may enter the bottom of cylinder 45.

When the time has elapsed that is necessary for sufiicient air to enter the cylinder and enable spring 36 to return the parts to the normal position shown in Fig. 9, wherein lug 32 may escape thumb 4|, a successful rotation of crank=30 is permissible to bring about the discharge of a successive individual towel from the dispenser.

A suitable severing mechanism is provided for enabling the discharged length of toweling to be torn or cut from the supply. This severing mech-' anism consists of a tiltable combined blade and The ends of this blade and snubber are pivotally mounted on a transverse shaft 52, the ends of which are disposed in slots 53 (see Fig. 8) in the end walls l2 and |3. Springs 54 carried by the end walls engage the ends of this shaft and urge the shaft inwardly in slots 53 toward measuring roll 26. The combined blade and snubber is provided with longitudinal slots for the reception of rollers 55 which extend through the slots and engage the paper toweling trained about the measuring roll 26.

These rollers being spring urged by springs 54 against the measuring roll contribute to securing a good frictional contact between the paper toweling and the measuring roll. I

The combined blade and snubber is loose upon the shaft 52 so that it may tilt thereon. The lower portion of'the blade extends downwardly and rearwardly beneath the measuring roll and is preferably provided with a serrated or toothed lower edge indicated at 56. The upper portion of the combined blade and snubber is merely arranged to present a flat surface that may be swung into engagement with the paper trained over the measuring roll.

When a length of toweling equivalent to an individual towel is discharged the person desiring the towel merely pulls upon it with sufiicient force soasto draw it against the toothed edge 56, which will cause the withdrawn lengthto be severed from the remainder of the supply; While rotation of the measuring roll 26 is not prevented because of the presence of the one-way driving connection between pinion 33 and pawl carrier 34, the tension on the withdrawn length against the serrated edge 56 causes the combined blade and snubber to tilt in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, swinging the upper portion of the combined blade and snubber snugly against the paper trained about the measuring roll and thus holding the paper against withdrawal during the action of severing the individual towel'from the balance of the roll.

Another feature of the invention resides in. the construction which requires the person inserting a new supply of paper toweling into the dispenser to properly position it therein and to indicate to an inspector who desires to know the quantity of paper toweling remaining in the dispenser the approximate amount remaining therein. To this end, wall I3 is provided with an outstanding lug or boss 51. One end of the roll of paper toweling is provided with a diametrical groove indicated at 58. The roll is of such a length as to snugly fit between end walls I2 and i3 and the groove 58 is of such size as to accommodate boss 51. In this way, whoever supplies the dispenser with a new supply of paper toweling is required to insert the roll in such a manner that the groove 58 is slipped over boss 5'5. When the roll is inserted in this manner the free end of the roll must be withdrawn from the bottom of the roll and trained over measuring roll 26. Should the person supplying the new roll of paper toweling attempt to insert the roll in the opposite or reverse position wherein removal of the toweling would take place from the top of the roll instead of the bottom as shown, the boss 57 prevents such insertion as there is no groove on the opposite end of the roll from groove 58 which will accommodate the boss. In this way proper insertion of the roll to secure a bottom feed therefrom, which will bring about a maximum amount of contact with measuring roll 26, is assured.

The groove 58 on the end of the roll serves an additional function. In addition to requiring the roll to be properly inserted between walls l2 and H5 on support 25, it provides an indicator readable from the exterior of the dispenser as to the approximate quantity of toweling remaining in the dispenser at any time. As shown on Fig. 5, when the toweling is withdrawn from the exterior of the roll the notches in the edge of the paper indicated at 5a, which are formed by grooving the end of the roll, are considerably spaced part. However, as the roll becomes exhausted the notches formed by grooving the end of the roll come closer together, as shown at 59A on Fig. '7, due to the fact that the paper is being withdrawn from that portion of the roll that is nearer its center. By this arrangement, anyone desiring to service the dispenser and supply it with new rolls of toweling can instantly deter-- mine the quantity of toweling remaining in the dispenser Without opening up the dispenser by releasing spring latch 23 and swinging the cover forwardly. Instead, by merely looking at a withdrawn length of toweling and noticing how close or how far apart the notches on the edge of the toweling are he can closely estimate the quantity of toweling remaining in the machine.

The slot Kill shown on Fig. 3 is merely a slot in end wall it which will accommodate the covering being swung forwardly for the insertion of a new roll of toweling.

From the above described construction it will be appreciated that the improved towel dispenser has many advantages: it enables the use of rolls of toweling which is discharged in equal lengths of individual towels, enabling the user to readily tear off his individual towel for his own use. However, due to the time delay mechanism individual towels cannot be consecutively withdrawn with great rapidity and thus wastage of the toweling is effectively prevented. Assurance is provided that renewing supplies of toweling will be properly inserted in the dispenser and the quantity of toweling remaining in the dispenser at any time can easily be ascertained without opening the machine.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A paper towel dispenser comprising means providing a holder for a supply roll of paper toweling, a measuring roll over which the toweling is trained, severing means adjacent the measuring roll, said severing means being pivotally mounted so that upon pulling the discharged toweling thereagainst the toweling trained over the roll will be snubbed thereagainst by the severing means, means for rotating the measuring rolluntil a predetermined length of toweling has been discharged, and means for delaying subsequent rotation of the measuring roll by the rotating means until a predetermined length of time has elapsed.

2. A paper towel dispenser comprising means providing a holder for a supply roll of paper toweling, a measuring roll over which the toweling is trained, severing means adjacent the measuring roll, said severing means being pivotally mounted so that upon pulling the discharged toweling *thereagainst the toweling trained over the roll will be snubbed thereagainst by the severing means, a pinion, means providing a one-Way driving connection between the measuring roll and the pinion, a gear meshing with the pinion, means for rotating the gear, and means including a dashpot for delaying consecutive rotations of the gear until the elapse of a predetermined length of time following each rotation.

LAURENCE L. PRICE. MAURICE E. MALTBiY. 

